13 1 2052 the journal of biodiversity data 20 February 2017 Check List LISTS OF SPECIES Check List 13(1): 2052, 20 February 2017 doi: https://doi.org/10.15560/13.1.2052 ISSN 1809-127X © 2017 Check List and Authors The grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Caelifera) of the grasslands in the southern portion of the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil Bruno R. Terra1, Felipe D. Gatti1, Marco Antonio A. Carneiro1, 3 & Maria Katia M. da Costa2 1 Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e Exatas, Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, CEP: 35400-000, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil 2 Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Faculdade de Biociências, Departamento de Biodiversidade e Ecologia, CEP: 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil 3 Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: Neotropical mountains host much of the Of the insects studied in the Espinhaço Range, gall- Earth’s biodiversity. The Espinhaço Range of Brazil con- inducing species have perhaps received the most attention sists of a fragmented series of low-altitude mountains with (Lara & Fernandes 1996; Carneiro et al. 2009), with extensive areas of grasslands. As is often the case with other insect herbivores being much less frequently grasslands, grasshoppers are abundant and diverse in this studied (Carneiro et al. 1995; Ribeiro et al. 1998). The ecosystem, although they are poorly known. The study was grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Caelifera) comprise one of the carried in three regions of the Espinhaço Range, located largest and most dominant groups of free-feeding insect at southeastern Minas Gerais state: Serra do Ouro Branco, herbivores on Earth (Gangwere et al. 1997). Grasshoppers Serra do Ribeiro, and Serra do Cipó. The sampling of typically inhabit open and semi-open vegetation, where grasshoppers was performed using sweep and insect nets. the sun’s rays reach the ground directly and temperatures Forty-six species (Serra do Cipó with 39 species, Serra do are higher, and where ground vegetation is in sufficient Ouro Branco with 25 species, and Serra do Ribeiro with 21 supply as a food source. They are mostly associated species) were collected. The richest family and subfamily with open-area vegetation such as fields and savannas was Acrididae and Gomphocerinae, respectively. This study (Capinera et al. 2001, 2004). These common insects often recorded 17 new species occurrences to Minas Gerais. are abundant and large in size. Grasshoppers (Caelifera) are leaf chewing, usually consuming entire leaves or large Key words: Acrididae; Diversity; Ecological Entomology; Gomphocerinae; Melanoplinae sections of leaves. They play an important role in nutrient cycling (Amèdègnato & Descamps 1978). Furthermore, grasshoppers constitute the largest mass of the food INTRODUCTION consumed by grassland birds and some other vertebrate predators (Capinera 2010). Orthoptera assemblages are Tropical mountain ecosystems are home to a considerable sensitive to disturbance, and they can be used as indicators number of plants and insects (Martinelli 2007). One of of land management degradation or habitat change. the most significant mountain formations in the north- The objective of this study is to present the first list of eastern and southeastern Brazil — the Espinhaço Range survey the grasshopper species found in the grasslands of — is a low, fragmented massif that extends from the the southern portion of the Espinhaço Range, in Minas central-south region of the Minas Gerais state to the north Gerais. of the Bahia state. The two main sectors of the Espinhaço Range are represented by the Diamantina plateau (Minas MATERIALS AND METHODS Gerais) and the Chapada Diamantina (Bahia). The Espin- haço Range is influenced by three main phytogeographic The study was carried at three regions of the Espinhaço domains: the Atlantic Forest, the Cerrado (Brazilian savan- Range: namely Serra do Ouro Branco (20°28′53.4ʺ S, 043° na), and the Caatinga (dry forest type vegetation) (Rapini 42′48.6ʺ W), Serra do Ribeiro (20°29ʹ01.3ʺ S, 043°34ʹ et al. 2008). The top of the mountains area mostly covered 26.4ʺ W) and Serra do Cipó (19°21ʹ13.3ʺ S, 043°36ʹ11.9ʺ W), by grassland fields (namely rupestrian fields) containing located near the cities of Ouro Branco, Ouro Preto and San- a large number of plant species in the families Poaceae, tana do Riacho, respectively (Figure 1). The samples from Cyperaceae, Eriocaulaceae and Xyridaceae (Giulietti et al. Serra do Ribeiro and Serra do Ouro Branco were collected 1987; Santos et al. 2011). in four months over a year-long period (February, March, 1 Terra et al. | Grasshoppers of the Espinhaço Range Figure 1. Localization of the areas studied in the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. and September 2011, as well as January 2012), while those The collection of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Caelifera) taken from Serra do Cipó were collected both during the was performed using two methods: a sweep sample and dry season (May, June, July, and August) and the rainy sea- insect nets. Ten subsamples of 30 sweeps were taken walk- son (October, November, December and January). In each ing along one line of approximately 50 m, at each sample of the three regions, sample areas were chosen at random site. Altogether, the 300 sweeps by sample site (three and, whenever possible, in preserved areas. In Serra do sample site at Ouro Branco, four sample site at Serra do Ouro Branco, sites were sampled between 1,305 and 1,513 Ribeiro, and seven sample site at Serra do Cipó), provided m; in Serra do Ribeiro, between 1,277 at 1,542 m; and in a total of 4,200 sweeps in the study. The sweeps were done Serra do Cipó, between 821 at 1,419 m. by the same personnel in all sample sites, always between Serra do Ouro Branco is the most significant element on 09:00 and 16:00 h, and never in the rain or strong winds the southern edge of the Iron Quadrangle, reaching altitudes (Janzen 1973; Evans and Bailey 1993; Carneiro et al. 1995; of 900–1,573 m and occupying an area of approximately 65 Ausden and Drake 2006). Additionally, grasshoppers were ha (Alkmim 1987). Serra do Ribeiro contains two smaller also collected with 60 cm diameter insect nets. Insects formations, located approximately 10 km north of Serra were sampled during 30-minute walks, during which the do Ouro Branco, with altitudes varying between 1,270 collector advanced in a zigzag pattern, insect net in hand, at 1,550 m (Borges et al. 2011). Serra do Cipó is located collecting the grasshoppers jumping at his approach. This approximately 167 km from Serra do Ouro Branco, with particular method ensures the collection of specimens who altitudes varying between 700 at 1,670 m. It is an import- are larger and of greater evasive ability. ant dividing point between two major Brazilian drainage The studied grasshoppers were incorporated in the basins, the São Francisco basin and the Rio Doce basin. In Entomological Collection of Laboratório de Entomologia the southern portion of the Espinhaço Range, the climate Ecológica (UFOP) and Museu do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), is mesothermic – Cwb (Köppen 1948), with mild, rainy Brazil. The determination grasshopper species was done summers and cold, dry winters (Antunes 1986). Average by M. K. M. Costa through the aid of the dichotomous annual temperatures range from 17°C to 20°C and annual keys of the specific genera and reference collection of the rainfall is roughly 1,500 mm (Giulietti et al. 1987). PUCRS. Given that the grasshoppers were not sampled in Check List | www.biotaxa.org/cl 2 Volume 13 | Issue 1 | Article 2052 Terra et al. | Grasshoppers of the Espinhaço Range Table 1. Check list of grasshopper species presents in three mountains in the Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Grasshopper taxa Mountains Figures Voucher Code Cipó Ouro Branco Ribeiro Acrididae Acridinae Eutryxalis filata filata (Walker, 1870) x x x 2–3 MCTP 55162 Hyalopteryx rufipennis Charpentier, 1845 x 4–5 MCTP 55163 Metaleptea adspersa (Blanchard, 1843) x x MCTP 55164 Parorphula graminea Bruner, 1900 x MCTP 55165 Paulacris exaggerata (Burr, 1902) x 6–7 MCTP 55166 Orphula pagana (Stål, 1861) x MCTP 55167 Copiocerinae Aleuas lineatus Stål, 1878 x MCTP 55168 Aleuas gracilis Stål, 1878 x MCTP 55169 Aleuas vitticollis Stål, 1878 x x x MCTP 55170 Cyrtacanthacridinae Shistocerca cancellata cancellata (Serville, 1838) x x x 8–9 MCTP 55171 Gomphocerinae Amblytropidia robusta Bruner, 1906 x x x 10–11 MCTP 55172 Amblytropidia sola Rehn, 1939 x x x 12–13 MCTP 55173 Amblytropidia minor Bruner, 1911 x x MCTP 55174 Borellia bruneri (Rehn, 1906) x 14–15 MCTP 55175 Borellia carinata Rehn, 1906 x 16–17 MCTP 55176 Borellia saezi Carbonell, 1995 x 18–19 MCTP 55177 Borellia sp. x 20–21 MCTP 55178 Compsacris brevipennis (Rehn, 1906) x MCTP 55179 Notopomala glaucipes (Rehn, 1906) x 22–23 MCTP 55180 Orphulella concinnula (Walker, 1870) x x x MCTP 55181 Orphulella elongata Bruner, 1911 x 24–25 MCTP 55182 Orphulella paraguayensis (Rehn, 1906) x x x 26–27 MCTP 55183 Orphulella punctata (De Geer, 1773) x x x 28–29 MCTP 55184 Orphulina pulchella Giglio-Tos, 1894 x x 30–31 MCTP 55185 Parapellopedon uniformis (Rehn, 1906) x 32–33 MCTP 55186 Pellopedon brunneum (Rehn, 1906) x x x 34–35 MCTP 55187 Rhammatocerus brasiliensis (Bruner, 1904) x x x 36–37 MCTP 55188 Rhammatocerus brunneri (Giglio-Tos, 1895) x x x 38–39 MCTP 55189 Rhammatocerus pictus (Bruner, 1900) x x x 40–41 MCTP 55190 Scyllinula sp. x 42–43 MCTP 55191 Staurorhectus longicornis longicornis Giglio-Tos, 1897